Whilst public awareness of environmental issues currently enjoys the highest profile, both nationally and internationally, understanding of the physical component of the natural world remains weak. There is an almost universal appreciation of many issues relating to ecological aspects of the environment, such as the need to conserve endangered species or threatened wildlife habitats, but by contrast, there is little understanding of the physical processes that have shaped our world. So the loss of key geological sites or landforms would be unlikely to occasion much public attention or comment. The challenge for the new millennium is that the geological profession reach out to a wider audience than hitherto, thereby ensuring a greater empathy with the physical component of the environment and its relevance to our everyday lives.

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